20 Things We Learned From Gamescom 2016

12. Mafia 3 Is The Return To Old-School GTA You Didn't Know You Needed

There was something about GTA V that just didn't sit well - almost as though Rockstar had all the money in the world, but nothing meaningful to spend it on. As a result, everything from the car handling to the physics, character models and world design was top notch, but it lacked the soul and purpose both GTA's original PS2 trilogy and the third Saints Row had in spades.

Mafia 3 is very much the latter. Developers Hangar 13 have crafted a game that puts gunplay and action right at the forefront of the experience. You can opt for full-on action (with some of the most bass-boosting sound effects I've ever heard) and gun down foes in a blaze of blood and brutality, or go for stealth, a small army knife allowing you to cut your way through the ranks.

The demo we were shown had main-man Lincoln Clay alternating between these two approaches, but the best bit so far is the gorgeous New Orleans-inspired backdrop. Having an era-appropriate soundtrack is something that made the likes of Vice City and San Andreas immediately memorable, and when it's twinned with a story that tells the events of Mafia 3 in retrospect, already everything about Mafia 3 looks insanely appealing.